Biography
Widely regarded as the Wu-Tang Clan’s ninth member, Masta Killa entered the world as Elgin Turner and has also answered to the names High Chief and Noodles. His first recorded rhymes appeared at the close of “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’,” taken from the group’s groundbreaking 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Before that session he had never composed rhymes in earnest or performed rap at all. Mentored by the GZA, he cultivated a measured, deliberate cadence that highlighted his thoughtful verses while his even-toned delivery and reserved presence supplied equally recognizable traits. Because he was imprisoned during the album’s creation, that single closing verse remained his lone contribution to Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), yet he stayed involved with the wave of mid-’90s solo projects by fellow members, among them the GZA’s Liquid Swords, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and Ghostface Killah’s Ironman.
His standing within the collective was cemented by the 1997 double album Wu-Tang Forever, on which he appeared across numerous cuts and delivered especially memorable bars on the lead single “Triumph.” Like Inspectah Deck, however, Killa spent years shaping his own material before any of it reached the public. Following two additional full-length Clan albums and another round of affiliated side projects, his solo debut finally arrived in 2004 as No Said Date on the underground label Nature Sounds. Retaining in-house production from the RZA, Mathematics, and True Master, the record stood out among post-Wu-Tang Forever Wu releases for the critical approval it earned, particularly from the group’s devoted audience.
In 2006 he returned with Made in Brooklyn, enlisting a broader roster of underground beat-makers that included MF Doom, Bronze Nazareth, and the legendary Pete Rock. His third album, Selling My Soul, surfaced in 2012 and featured guest appearances from Kurupt and Ol’ Dirty Bastard alongside beats supplied by 9th Wonder, Mathematics, and PF Cuttin. A further extended interval preceded the arrival of his fourth studio LP, Loyalty Is Royalty, in 2017; Wu-Tang colleagues Cappadonna, Method Man, the RZA, the GZA, and Inspectah Deck were joined by Redman, Sean Price, Prodigy, and KXNG CROOKED among the supporting artists.
His standing within the collective was cemented by the 1997 double album Wu-Tang Forever, on which he appeared across numerous cuts and delivered especially memorable bars on the lead single “Triumph.” Like Inspectah Deck, however, Killa spent years shaping his own material before any of it reached the public. Following two additional full-length Clan albums and another round of affiliated side projects, his solo debut finally arrived in 2004 as No Said Date on the underground label Nature Sounds. Retaining in-house production from the RZA, Mathematics, and True Master, the record stood out among post-Wu-Tang Forever Wu releases for the critical approval it earned, particularly from the group’s devoted audience.
In 2006 he returned with Made in Brooklyn, enlisting a broader roster of underground beat-makers that included MF Doom, Bronze Nazareth, and the legendary Pete Rock. His third album, Selling My Soul, surfaced in 2012 and featured guest appearances from Kurupt and Ol’ Dirty Bastard alongside beats supplied by 9th Wonder, Mathematics, and PF Cuttin. A further extended interval preceded the arrival of his fourth studio LP, Loyalty Is Royalty, in 2017; Wu-Tang colleagues Cappadonna, Method Man, the RZA, the GZA, and Inspectah Deck were joined by Redman, Sean Price, Prodigy, and KXNG CROOKED among the supporting artists.
Albums
Balance
2025
Wu-Krautz
2024
M.A.N. (Father 2 Son)
2020
Therapy
2017
Selling My Soul
2012
Loyalty Is Royalty
2010
Made in Brooklyn
2006
Made In Brooklyn
2006
No Said Date
2004
Singles
